A Study of Emotional Intelligence and Attitudes Towards Teaching Profession Among Turkish EFL Pre-service Teachers

This study sought to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and attitudes towards teaching profession among 124 English as a foreign language (EFL) pre-service teachers at a major state university in Turkey. Data were collected using the Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Attitudes towards Teaching Profession Scale. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and attitudes towards the teaching profession of Turkish EFL pre-service teachers. Moreover, findings indicated that the majority of the participants had moderate levels of emotional intelligence and attitudes towards teaching profession. Findings may serve as insights for teacher training programs to promote pre-service teachers' emotional intelligence and their attitudes towards the teaching profession.